Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said Wednesday it increased ethyl alcohol production to 100,000 liters a day to address the needs of frontliners, local government units and provinces nationwide in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said the company activated all the facilities of liquor unit Ginebra San Miguel Inc. to produce 70-percent ethyl alcohol round-the-clock nationwide, even as the company continued to find more ways to reach out and support the government and private sector with response efforts.
Ang also thanked the Food and Drug Administration for its quick response in getting Ginebra’s Cabuyao plant and the rest of its facilities to produce rubbing alcohol for distribution to frontliners.
“So far, we have donated 29,300 liters of 70-percent ethyl alcohol to 77 hospitals throughout Metro Manila as well as the Department of Health, crisis centers, local government units, law enforcement agencies and other vital institutions. This is just the start. As we navigate through the challenges, we will continue to provide help where it’s needed,” Ang said.
“This is our way of thanking and supporting all our brave doctors, nurses, policemen, military, security personnel, delivery workers, employees of vital industries and so many others who are on the frontlines of this battle, saving lives and making sure the system is in order,” he said.
The bulk of alcohol production is being done at Ginebra’s Cabuyao plant in Laguna. With other five Ginebra facilities producing the same rubbing alcohol, the reach of the initiative will widen and benefit more Filipinos nationwide.
“Right now we are only able to serve NCR, but we have already mobilized our other facilities to produce alcohol as well for nationwide delivery,” Ang said.
These include Ginebra plants in Mandaue, Cebu; Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan; Destileria Bago in Negros Occidental; Cauayan, Isabela; and Ligao, Albay.